Paul Johnson, in his wonderful book, Heroes, writes of Pope John Paul II:

"I don't intend to dwell at length on John Paul because he inhabits the borderland between heroic and saintly. . .As a man, as an ecclesiastical statesman, John Paul possessed three qualities which can truthfully be described as heroic.  First, from the outset of his pontificate he showed a willingness to take on a monumental task. . .John Paul's second heroic quality was the purity of his behavior. . .Third was John Paul's singleness of purpose.  He was heroic in his simplicity, which went hand in hand with great intellectual sophistication, profound knowledge and flexibility of argument."

Why notice all the great qualities of Pope John Paul II with Pope Benedict XVI in the U.S.?  Because of Pope Benedict's comments, documented by Peggy Noonan in The Wall Street Journal:

"He spoke of the distilled message of John Paul's reign: 'Be not afraid,' the words 'of the angel of the Resurrection, addressed to the women before the empty tomb.' Which words were themselves a condensed message: Nothing has ended, something beautiful has begun, but you won't understand for a while.

Benedict was doing something great leaders usually don't do, which is invite you to dwell on the virtues of his predecessor."

More:

"When I was writing a book about John Paul, I'd ask those who'd met him or saw him go by: What did you think, or say? And they'd be startled and say, 'I don't know, I was crying.'"

John Paul made you burst into tears. Benedict makes you think. It is more pleasurable to weep, but at the moment, perhaps it is more important to think."

Read the rest here.